The present invention relates to a cover for a binding which comprises at least one looped formation to enable it to hold together a plurality of sheets of paper.
One such cover which has already been proposed comprises a relatively rigid cardboard material which is often covered by paper and which has two folded lines down opposite sides of a spine of the cover so that the latter can be opened and closed. One disadvantage of such a cover is that it is either fairly bulky or, alternatively, it is rather weak so that the front and back of the cover are relatively easily urged out of true.
Another such cover which has already been proposed comprises a sheet with a multiplicity of holes punched through it in a line adjacent to an edge of the sheet, through which holes extends a continuous looped wire binding. A disadvantage of this previously proposed construction is that the binding remains in view and unsightly, and can easily snag on surrounding stationery items.
The present invention seeks to obviate one or more of these disadvantages.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a cover for a binding which comprises at least one looped formation to enable it to hold together a plurality of sheets of paper and which is held on or adjacent to the inside of a spine of the cover when the latter is in use, the cover having at least one tab on or adjacent to the spine of the cover, the tab having an aperture into which such a looped formation can be inserted when the cover is in use.
Preferably, the cover is cut from a single sheet of material, preferably a plastics material, and most preferably polypropylene. In this way, the tab or tabs are created integrally with the rest of the cover.
The or each tab may extend from a side of the spine.
Alternatively, they may extend inwardly towards the spine from the front flap or the rear flap of the cover.
Most preferably, they extend towards the spine from the front flap. This provides the advantage that the front flap can lie everywhere flat against the contents of the cover.
If in addition the cover or at least the front flap thereof is transparent or translucent, printed matter at the top of the contents may be readily seen through that flap.
The spine of the cover may be flexible to enable it to be curved around such a binding. Such a cover will be capable of taking any selected one of a number of different sizes of binding. It is desirable for the spine to be capable of being wrapped around the greater part of the binding.
One way in which the spine may be made flexible is by means of multiple score-lines in the cover in the spine region thereof.
In one form of construction, the tabs may be provided on both sides of the spine to avoid the need of any other means of securing the binding to the cover.
The present invention extends to a cover with a binding which comprises at least one looped formation to hold together a plurality of sheets of paper, and which is held on the inside of the spine of the cover, the cover having at least one tab on or adjacent to the spine of the cover, the tab having an aperture through which such a looped formation extends.
The binding may comprise a loose-leaf mechanism or other means comprising one or more rings.
Alternatively, the binding may comprise a wire binding, or a plurality of discs which are each provided with a widened rim.
Alternatively, the binding may comprise a plurality of tongue-shaped members each of which is widened around its periphery and which has a base portion.